OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON D C 20301 2 5 AUG 1981 MEMORANDUM FOR MR MEESE Subject Letter to Mrs Thatcher Secretary Weinberger asked me to send you a copy of the attached letter which he sent to Mrs Thatcher today Copies are also being sent to Secretary Haig and Ambassador Louis Co-J_CJ Carl R Smith Major General USAF Military Assistant to the SecretaTy of Defense Attachment Secret UPON REMOVAL OF' ATTACHMENTS THIS COCUMENT BECOMES UNCLASSIFIED - -------------- --SEC DEF C01'TR No 1 1 S-8 8- 0 X cl_ __ - ' Z S S t L TH E S E CRETA R Y o D E FEl iSE WASHINGTON THE DISTRICT Or COLU M BIA Her Excellency Margaret Thatcher Prime inister of Great Britain 10 Downing Street London England Dear Prime Minister As a result of my meeting with John Nott I und erstand that an early decision by the U S on the D-5 missile for our Trident submarines would greatly assist the budgetary planning of Her Majesty's Government I am pleased to inform you that President Reagan has authorized me to advise you now in advance of the public announcement that we will use the D-5 missile in our Trident boats and will make that missile available to you should you desire to buy it I would expect our public announcement to be made in a_few weeks I hope that this will prove helpful to you as you plan for the configuration of the U K Trid ent program I am especially pleased that the cooperation of our governments in strengthening our mutual security is again reflected in this decision • SincerelYi 61 ldwL r DECLASSIAED NLRRea2 01 1i Zr6• t BY K k NARA DATE 'i lZ Classified by s c Def Review on 24 August 1987 ' •• ' ••• 2 S SI - - T l-I r S ECRET I - i Y O f o FENSE V A H NGTON l t1 E n1 TR I CT 2 5 AUG 9 L1 Or COLU S-' S I A Her Excellency Margaret Thatcher Prime t- inister of Great Britain 10 Downing Street LonJon England Dear Prime Minister As a result of my meeting with John Nott I understand that an early decision by the U S on the D-5 missile for our Trident submarines would greatly assist the budgetary planning of Her Majesty's Government I am pleased to inform you that President Reagan has authori•ed me to advise you now in advance of the public announcement that we will use the D-5 missile in our Trident boats and will make that missile available to you should you desire to buy it I would expect our p lic announcement to be made in a_few weeks I hope that this will prove helpful to you as yoa plan for the configuration of the u K Trident · -- ' program I am especially pleased that the cooperation of our governments in strengthening our mutual security is again reflected in this decision DECLASSIFIED NLRR F01 o • z l'6t L BY 7 r NARA DATE Yl' ll - Classified by Scc Def Review on 24 August 1987 ·· '